The present invention relates to a device and method of self-measurement for the fitting of bras and other close-fitting clothing. In exemplary embodiments, the invention relates to the accurate measurement of a torso underneath or around the breasts for the correct fitting of a bra.
In this specification, the term xe2x80x98braxe2x80x99 will be used conveniently to encompass all clothing designed closely to fit a wearer""s breasts, thus including other forms of lingerie such as body suits, as well as swimwear and other sportswear such as leotards. However, although bras will be referred to herein to exemplify the invention, the invention is not limited to measurement of breast size for the purpose of fitting bras but instead enjoys wider application to other body measurement, especially around the torso at chest, waist or hip level, around the neck, or around the limbs.
It is important for a bra to fit correctly, not only for comfort, but because an ill-fitting bra can cause a variety of health problems, including muscle ache, irritable bowel syndrome and even spinal injuries.
Unfortunately, bra fitting is bedevilled by problems, including variations in size, shape and disposition of the breasts, by the amorphous nature of the breasts themselves, and by the fact that many women are never measured for bra size, either professionally or otherwise. Nevertheless, when buying a bra, most women know from previous experience roughly the size that is required This is always an approximation as changes in chest size, as well as changes to the size and shape of breasts, occur at different times during the menstrual cycle and as the years progress. Also, substantial and often irreversible changes in breast size and shape can occur during and after pregnancy.
A typical way to chose a bra is either by choosing a favourite style or make, regardless of the accuracy of the fit, or to try on a selection of styles in a range of sizes and makes. In this way, best fit is ascertained by trial and error. Both processes take time, are dependent on available stock and do not always result in the purchase of a properly fitting bra.
For women who are unsure of their size, some retail outlets provide a bra measuring service whereby measurements are taken either with or without a bra being worn. Apart from the advantage of obtaining expert advice or at least a second opinion as to fit, professional measuring services have many drawbacks. For example, if the measurement is taken with a bra on, there is the advantage that the breasts are supported but the resulting measurement may be inaccurate if the bra is not an accurate fit to start with. If the measurement is taken without a bra being worn, the measurement will also be inaccurate since the breasts are unsupported and therefore are of a different shape and volume compared to when they are supported.
The significance of support is that a breast is largely constituted of fatty tissue having a resiliently compressible, gelatinous consistency whose shape and volume will adapt to some extent to suit a receptacle such as a bra cup in which the breast is contained. When there is no such support, gravity will change both the shape and volume of the breast, obviously with increasing effect the greater the size and weight of the breast.
Even a professional measuring service is not immune from the drawback that the accuracy of breast and torso measurement for fitting a bra will usually depend on the level of training and experience of the person doing the measuring. It is also true that bra-fitting experts apply an element of subjectivity to their work. The aim of such experts is not to arrive at a universal bra size measurement that the user can apply with confidence to bras in general, but instead to fit the consumer to one of the bras available in stock, the purpose of measurement therefore being to select a limited range of bras that the user can try on and select from. Such trial and error is all well and good in a store environment if the consumer has the time and inclination to visit the store, but it does not suit the mail order and Internet shopping methods that many consumers increasingly prefer.
A further problem with professional measuring services is that many women feel uncomfortable about being measured in a semi-naked state by a stranger. As a result, the measurement/fitting may be hurried and incorrect advice given.
Self-measuring guides are therefore available. These generally involve measuring the circumference of the torso under the breasts to obtain a torso measurement, followed by taking a measurement across the breasts at the largest point, i.e. across the nipples in an xe2x80x98over-bustxe2x80x99 measurement. Then, these measurements are put into a formula to work out a nominal torso and bra cup size. The bra cup size is related to torso size and also to the difference between torso size and over-bust measurement. In other words, the difference between torso size and over-bust measurement imputes a cup size for a given torso size. However, the product of the formula is only as good as the measurements that are put into the formula, and unfortunately those measurements are often inaccurate.
For example, as noted above, a certain level of expertise is required to achieve any degree of accuracy; one could hardly expect an inexpert woman, usually working on her own, to match the accuracy of measurement of an experienced bra-fitter. In particular, it is difficult to be sure that a measuring tape is held at an appropriate tension and in the correct position, which is especially difficult to ascertain across the back, either with or without the aid of a mirror. Also, the cross-nipple or over-bust measurement introduces an inherent inaccuracy because it does not take proper account of the effect of the varying depth and width of the cleavage between the breasts. The measuring tape bridges the cleavage rather than following the contour, and so cannot accurately tell if a particular apparent breast size is due to the degree of separation and protrusion of the breasts rather than the overall breast size.
Furthermore, the final measurement will be dependent on the type of bra being worn, it being noted that measurement often takes place while wearing a bra and that different bras impose different shapes upon the breasts that they support. A particular source of inaccuracy arises where the bra is designed to flatten the breast or maximise cleavage because such distortion of the breasts gives a misleading over-bust measurement. In general, there is a tendency to overestimate torso size and to underestimate over-bust measurement: as cup size is imputed from t he difference between those measurements and with regard to the torso size, the combination or sum of errors in these critical measurements magnifies errors in apparent cup size.
Consequently, many women wear ill-fitting bras that are uncomfortable and provide insufficient support, which has adverse effects on posture and shape in later years. The correct fitting of a bra is especially important while breasts are developing during the teenage years and incorrect fitting during this time can lead to complications in later years.
Torso girth measurement is typically obtained by passing a tape measure around the torso underneath the breasts, holding the tape measure between a finger and thumb, tensioning the tape until it feels comfortably tight, and noting the resulting measurement. A fixed margin is added to the measurement to give the chest size required, adding further vagaries to the measurement. In the United Kingdom, such a measurement is usually obtained in inches, while in Europe, centimetres are the common unit. In the UK imperial scale, bra chest sizes increment in even-numbered two-inch steps e.g. 32 inches, 34 inches, 36 inches and so on. Accordingly, a margin of four inches (10 cm) is added if the measured chest size is an even number and a margin of five inches (12.5 cm) is added if the measured chest size is an odd number.
It will be appreciated that it is not easy to ensure that the tape measure is correctly aligned and indeed correctly tensioned. Nor is it easy to handle a flexible tape measure whose overlapping ends must be held accurately during measurement. In particular, difficulties of reading from the scale of the tape measure are compounded by the use of a mirror or, if direct viewing is attempted, by the presence of the user""s breasts, which tend to get in the way. In view of that, many women attempt to measure their torso size by pinching an overlapping portion of the tape measure between thumb and forefinger and keeping hold of the appropriate portion of the tape when the tape is removed from around the torso. There is a risk that the tape will slip in the user""s grasp during that movement and so give a false reading. There is also the certainty that the width of the user""s thumb and fingers precludes a fully accurate measurement.
Alignment of a measuring tape is difficult to ascertain, and more difficult to ensure. Checking alignment of the tape across one""s back requires peering into a mirror and this involves movement of the torso that may in itself disturb correct alignment.
Tension in the tape around the torso is especially important yet more difficult to gauge correctly: specifically, consistency of girth measurement is difficult to achieve when encircling a compressible body such as a torso, especially when there is a significant depth of body fat. The problem is that pulling on a strap or tape to ensure that it is taut compresses the body encircled by the strap or tape, and so the girth of the body will change as a result of the measurement process. This introduces self-defeating inaccuracy.
It has been shown that bras that fit too loosely around the torso do not properly support the breasts, while bras that fit too tightly around the torso compress the rib cage and diaphragm causing a number of complications, including poor digestion and constipation. Unless a woman is being measured professionally, she is unlikely to know the required tension, and even professional measurers may have difficulty in achieving the correct tension. Indeed, it is customary for professional measurers to tension a tape so it is tight around the woman""s chest and then to ask her to breathe in or raise her shoulders to expand her chest. This causes the tape to relax to an extent necessary to ensure comfort in all modes of use. For the aforementioned reasons, this method of measurement is difficult for a woman to perform on her own. It is also difficult to perform objectively.
It is against this background that the present invention has been made. Accordingly, the invention aims to provide an accurate measurement of a torso which facilitates the selection of the correct bra size to suit an individual""s requirements. In this way, a measurement made by a woman in her own home will be as accurate as one made by a professional measurer in a retail outlet.
From one aspect, the invention encompasses a measuring tape for measuring the girth of any part of a user""s body and especially any part of the user""s torso such as the waist, chest (including around the user""s breasts) or hips. In the example of torso measurement, the tape comprises a separable fastening that, when fastened, creates a loop of tape that extends in use around the user""s torso without support from the user""s hands, a link co-operable with the tape allowing the circumference of the loop to be adjusted or varied when around the user""s torso, and girth indicia co-operable with the link to indicate the circumference of the loop, wherein the link maintains a securing tension on the loop to secure the loop around the torso but allows expansion of the loop when the user expands her torso during said measurement, and resists variation of the loop circumference when the fastening is unfastened after use so that the circumference of the loop can be read by the user after use with reference to the girth indicia. Thus, torso girth measurement is simple, quick, easy and accurate.
For simplicity and ease of manufacturing, it is preferred that the link is integral with the fastening.
Whilst it is further preferred that the girth indicia are situated on the tape, the link may be separate from the fastening and connected to the fastening by a strip movable with respect to the link. In which case, the girth indicia, such as numerals, icons or colours, may be situated on the strip.
Advantageously, the link includes a display area, such as a window or cut-out, with which indicia can align to be displayed. It will be apparent that the size and shape of the display area will be tailored to allow the whole indicia to be displayed. For example, a window may be rectangular or oval in shape.
It is further preferred that the link is a slipping link that allows slippage of the tape to allow expansion of the loop while maintaining the securing tension, but grips the tape to an extent necessary to prevent slippage of the tape when the fastening is unfastened after use. This allows the user to adjust the tape without having to hold it herself under the correct tension.
Conveniently, the slipping link includes a holding bar around which the tape is looped and one or more gripping formations bearing upon the tape looped around the bar. In this way, the tape follows a tortuous path and is restricted from slipping by friction between the holding bar, the one or more gripping formations and the tape.
Optionally, the link may be a store of tape that retracts tape on contraction of the loop and pays out tape on expansion of the loop. It is advantageous if the store of tape is a reel biased to retract the tape. Such an embodiment allows the tape to be stored compactly predisposing it, for example, for multiple use by a professional measurer in a retail outlet, or to be sent by mail for an individual to use in the comfort of her own home.
In a further embodiment, or in addition, the link may be adapted for indexible movement of the tape between discrete detent positions. The detent positions ideally correspond to the spacing between successive indicia Indexing movement may be achieved by a notch and tooth arrangement, a sprung arm or pawl mechanism, for example.
In order to gauge accurately when the correct tension in the loop has been reached, a further advantage is seen if the tape includes a tension indicator for indicating tension in the loop.
In a preferred embodiment, the tension indicator comprises first and second parts linked by resilient bias means for relative movement against bias when the loop is under circumferential tension. Advantageously, a visual indicator responsive to the extent of said relative movement is included. It will be appreciated that the resilient bias means may be in the form of a tension spring or any other suitable means.
Preferably, the visual indicator comprises tension indicia associated with one of said parts of the tension indicator being relatively movable into alignment with a window, cut-out or indicating indicia on the other of said parts of the tension indicator. For clear instructions to the user, the tension indicator indicia may be in the form of confirmatory indicia, such as a tick and/or green colour.
Advantageously, the tension indicia is situated on a portion of tape attached to one of said parts of the tension indicator.
From another aspect, the invention resides in a method for measuring the girth of any part of a user""s body, especially any part of the user""s torso such as the waist, chest (including around the user""s breasts) or hips. In the example of torso measurement, the method comprises fastening a loop of tape around the user""s torso without support from the user""s hands, creating and maintaining a securing tension on the loop to secure the loop around the torso, permitting expansion of the loop when the user expands her torso during said measurement, unfastening the loop while maintaining the loop circumference, and reading the circumference of the loop after use.
Preferably, the method further comprises viewing a visual indication of the tension in the loop and advantageously further comprises the step of responding to the visual indication by adjusting the tension in the loop to achieve an indicated predetermined tension.
References in this specification to any part of the user""s body are to be construed broadly as encompassing the neck and limbs as well as parts of the user""s torso.